WhatsApp Adds '@ all' Mentions and Poll Upgrades to Group Chats

WhatsApp announced several enhancements to its group chat functionality on today's date. Among these updates, the most significant is the introduction of an "@all" mention feature. This allows group members to alert everyone in a conversation simultaneously, eliminating the need to tag each person individually. The "@all" function is intended for urgent, time-sensitive messages like school or office closures, event deadlines, or last-minute changes to plans.

However, its usage is restricted to admins in groups with a membership exceeding 32 members. Notably, the mention will still appear in muted chats; yet, users can mute "@all" specifically in their notification settings if desired.

Furthermore, WhatsApp has upgraded its poll feature, offering three enhancements. Poll creators can now set an end time for a poll, automatically locking voting once the time expires. Additionally, voters' names can be concealed, enabling participants to respond without others seeing their choices. Lastly, poll creators can edit the question up to 15 minutes after posting it, allowing for the correction of typos or addition of clarity.

Another noteworthy addition is a streamlined process for creating new groups. A "Create a similar group" option has been introduced, enabling users to initiate a new group chat with members from an existing one with a single tap. This simplifies the process of starting a side conversation, such as planning a surprise party away from the main group or focusing on a specific topic without cluttering the primary chat.

These updates follow a series of recent improvements introduced earlier this year, including group message history, member tags, and event reminders. WhatsApp currently boasts over 100 million users in the U.S. and more than 3 billion users globally.